1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a gas lighter, with flint and wheel ignition, provided with a safety device adapted, particularly but not exclusively, to prevent the use of such a lighter by persons, such as children, who are normally incapable of appreciating the potential danger of a flame.
2. Background and Material Information
A conventional disposable lighter includes a body housing a tank of liquefied gas under pressure, a control lever acting on a valve for the passage of the gas, and one planar end of which constitutes the push-button which will be pressed down by the user""s finger, a wheel, a flint in contact with the wheel, and a pressure reducing valve transforming the liquefied gas into a gas that can escape by the burner. The wheel is usually surrounded on both sides by toothed, corrugated, or grooved drivers to prevent slipping, with a greater diameter than that of the wheel, which reduce the force that is necessary for the rotation thereof and avoid a direct contact of the hand with the wheel that is always loaded with dust.
The ignition of the lighter requires two conditions, namely the simultaneous presence of sparks and of the transformed gas, in a same zone above the burner. Numerous child-resistant safety devices have already been proposed, some of which have been put into operation, which aim at prohibiting the release of the gas.
Most of the devices proposed call for a removable blocking of the push-button, which prevents the latter from lowering, therefore from releasing the gas as long as a preliminary operation has not been performed. This often relates to the release of a safety lock. Prior to this operation, the push-button cannot open the valve and the as does not come out, since the formation of sparks not constituting a great danger.
A second type of safety aims at preventing the rotation of the wheel as long as a preliminary operation has not been completed, the movement of the push-button remaining to free. This can be either a forward movement of the drivers and of the wheel, or a vertical pressure on the drivers-wheel assembly that enables an engagement of the latter.
It has already been proposed to block the rotation of the wheel, in the extinguished position, by providing two positions thereof, a resting position and an operational or ignition position. For example, one can cite the documents EP-A-672 867 and FR-A-2736 420, in which the rotational axle common to the wheel and its drivers is movable, under the action of a pressure, in a rectilinear groove forming a cam, such that if the wheel is not pressed, the wheel attacks the flint in a position that is not tangent, which implies a blocking of the wheel by the flint.
In WO96/41103 and WO95/04247, a resiliently deformable guard is provided, which covers a portion of the wheel and is surrounded by drivers. This deformable element is connected to the body of the lighter. A sufficient pressure (which children generally cannot apply) must be exerted on the guard to deform it to be able to rotate the wheel and produce sparks. A finger or brake is provided to prevent the wheel from rotating when the push-button is pressed down, which would permit ignition by using two hands.
In FR-A-2731775, the drivers are configured so that the wheel can be driven only under the action of a relatively large thumb, which is not the case with children""s thumbs which cannot rotate the wheel to produce sparks, the release of gas remaining possible at all time.
However, none of these systems perfectly meet the requirements of the authorized users who wish as easy a usage as possible, without damaging the fingers.
The object of the present invention is to overcome the disadvantages of the known devices, and to propose a solution to the problem of child safety by blocking the wheel.
According to the invention, the safety device for a gas lighter including a body housing a tank of liquefied gas under pressure, a lever forming, at its rear portion, a push-button which can be pressed down by the user""s finger, acting on a valve for the passage of the gas connected to a burner, a wheel, a flint in contact with the wheel, the wheel being surrounded on both sides by drivers, the assembly being pivotally mounted about an axle taking support in a cover projecting on the upper portion of the body of the lighter and partially surrounded by a cap, is characterized in that the lighter has means for blocking the rotation of the wheel cooperating with at least one driver.
According to another characteristic of the invention, the blocking means are carried either by the protective cap, by the mounting cover of the axle of the ignition unit constituted by the wheel and its drivers, by the axle of the ignition unit, or yet by the push-button lever or by a wheel cover forming a guard.
According to yet another characteristic of the invention, the axle of the ignition assembly is movable between two positions, in one of which the drivers and the wheel are blocked, and in the other of which the drivers and therefore the wheel are free to rotate, which enables sparks to be generated.
According to still another characteristic of the invention, the blocking of the drivers is done by means of a wheel cover partially surrounding the latter.
The basic idea of the invention consists of blocking the wheel to prevent the formation of sparks, whether or not the push-button is pressed, to ensure a better resistance unauthorized uses.
The invention provides for a gas lighter having a safety mechanism, the lighter comprising a lighter body housing a tank of liquefied gas under pressure, a valve allowing a passage of gas, a burner connected to the valve, a push-button disposed on the body and adapted to be pressed by a user""s finger, a lever for acting on the valve, the lever being adapted to cooperate with the push-button, a wheel for engaging a flint, the wheel comprising at least one driver, a spring arranged below the flint for biasing the flint against the wheel, an axle upon which the wheel is rotatably mounted, and a mechanism for preventing the rotation of the wheel, wherein the mechanism is adapted to engage at least one tooth on the at least one driver so as to prevent the rotation of the wheel.
The wheel may comprise at least two drivers, one located on each side of the wheel. The lighter may further comprise a cover disposed in an upper portion of the lighter and a cap at least partially surrounding the cover. The axle may be supported by the cover. The axle may be movable against a biasing force of the spring. The axle may be movably supported in a slot.
The lighter may further comprise a cover disposed adjacent the wheel, wherein the axle is movably mounted in rectilinear grooves disposed in the cover, and wherein the axle is movable between a low position in which the wheel is unable to rotate and a high position in which the wheel is prevented from rotating. The mechanism for preventing the rotation of the wheel may comprise a wheel cover. The wheel cover may comprise a plate having an edge and wherein the edge is adapted to engage the at least one tooth of the at least one driver so as to prevent the rotation of the wheel. The axle may be movable between a high position and a low position and wherein the edge is adapted to engage the at least one tooth when the axle is in the high position. The plate of the wheel cover may be slidable with respect to an inner surface of a cap surrounding the burner. The wheel cover may be one of fixed and connected to the lever. The wheel cover may comprise an end which is fixed to the lever via a connection, the connection being disposed between the wheel and the push-button. The wheel cover may comprise an end which is fixed to the lever via a connection, the connection being disposed between the wheel and the burner. The mechanism for preventing the rotation of the wheel may comprise a cap having at least one engaging lug, and the engaging lug may be engagable with at least one tooth disposed on the at least one driver. The axle may be movable against a biasing force of the spring. The axle may be movable between a high position and a low position and the at least one engaging lug may be adapted to engage the at least one tooth when the axle is in the high position. The mechanism for preventing the rotation of the wheel may comprise at least one engaging lug disposed on the body, and the engaging lug may be engagable with at least one tooth disposed on the at least one driver. The axle may be movable against a biasing force of the spring. The axle may be movable between a high position and a low position and the at least one engaging lug may be adapted to engage the at least one tooth when the axle is in the high position. The mechanism for preventing the rotation of the wheel may comprise a wheel cover, the wheel cover comprising a plate having a hole and an edge and the edge may be adapted to engage the at least one tooth of the at least one driver so as to prevent the rotation of the wheel. The mechanism for preventing the rotation of the wheel may comprise a wheel cover, the wheel cover comprising a plate having a hole for the passage of sparks and having a ring portion whose width is substantially equal to a width of the wheel. The ring portion may be circular in shape and is adapted to cover less than 270 degrees of the wheel.
The invention also provides for a gas lighter comprising a lighter body housing a tank of liquefied gas under pressure, a valve allowing a passage of gas, a burner connected to the valve, a push-button disposed on the body and adapted to be pressed by a user""s finger, a lever for acting on the valve, the lever being adapted to cooperate with the push-button, a wheel for engaging a flint, the wheel comprising two drivers, a spring arranged below the flint for biasing the flint against the wheel, an axle mounted to a cover, the axle being movable between a high position and a low position, the wheel being rotatably mounted to the axle, a cap at least partially surrounding the cover, a wheel cover for preventing the rotation of the wheel, the wheel cover having a portion which at least partially surrounds the wheel, the wheel cover comprising an end which is fixed between the wheel and the push-button and another end which is free, the other end including a plate adapted to slide with respect to an inner surface of the cap, the plate comprising an edge adapted to engage at least one tooth of at least one of the drivers, wherein the wheel is prevented from rotating when the edge engages at least one tooth of at least one driver, and wherein the wheel is rendered rotatable when the axle of the wheel is moved away from the high position towards the low position.
The wheel may be prevented from rotating when the push-button is in a low position, and the wheel may be rendered rotatable when the axle of the wheel is moved away from the high position towards the low position.